Gordan Hayward

[tmb3]

I have really liked what I have seen in the few games I've seen so far. He isn't dominating the summer league, but the thing that is encouraging to me is that what he is doing can translate to the regular season. He isn't taking a ton of shots and he isn't dominating the ball. He is playing completely within the offense, taking good shots, and looking to get open shots for his teammates.

Until about 5 minutes ago I hadn't realized how efficient he has really been. In 22 mpg he has scored 40 points on 16 shots!! That is unreal. Here are his stats so far.

22 min
10 ppg
3 reb
1.5 Ast
1 stl
1 blk
1 TO
63% fg
25% 3pt
90% ft

Those stats aren't going to wow anyone, but I believe those stats are going to translate to the NBA because of how he has gotten those numbers. If he was taking 15 shots a game and dominating the ball, those numbers won't translate. But he is taking shots within the offense. Those same shots are going to be available in the regular season.

Also, in case people here are still upset over the Hayward pick, lets look at the #2 pick, Evan Turner
He has scored 34 points on 29 shots(6 less points on 13 more shot attempts)

25 min
8.5 points
5.5 Reb
3 Ast
1 stl
0 blk
3 TO
31% FG
20% 3pt
100% FT

Hayward has outplayed the #2 pick(and is dominating him today as well).

I hated the pick at the time, but I am loving it right now. He could be a perfect fit for this team. If we can get a solid big(Okafor, Chandler, Jefferson) with the TPE we will be in good shape.

[HolyToledo]

Hayward knows how to play and has enough athletic ability to be a very good player. I love the pick by the Jazz when I saw which players available. He is a combination of Harpring and AK-47 and should have a good long career as the Jazz starting SF with Miles moving to SG. I hope Wes Matthews comes back but if he doesnt the Jazz have plenty of talented wing players.

Big guys on the other hand is very thin but at least Kosta looks like he is working hard to become a serviceable player.

[mattg]

You guys got a great player in Hayward. I also laugh at the notion that kid doesn't have upside. No one can give me a good reason, what he's white? He's only 20, not fully developed physically, already has an off the charts IQ, can shoot it, advanced ball handling skills, fundamentally sound, decent athleticism, good rebounder, and clutch. No one can tell me a 20 year old with all those tools doesn't have potential, thats just stupid. Especially when the kid showed big time talent as frosh in college, and then tore it up on our junior national team the next summer. If he had a darker complexion people wouldn't hesitate to say that he could one day potentially be an all-star. With the failure of so many recent white small forwards like Luke Jackson, Morrison, Dunleavy(to a certain extent) I think people are hesitant to believe a white wing player could be good in a role as anything but a spot up shooter ala Korver/Kapono.

[loserX]

Summer league isn't exactly incontrovertible proof of anything...but obviously it is nice to see him play well, especially in light of all the naysaying that follows him. Hope he keeps it up.

[Marc]

Hayward is probably going to be better than some of the players picked before him.

I wanted Spurs to get him somehow, lol. He is the perfect fit for a contender.

[Bullet]

I liked what Barry said in the broadcast of the Sixers game. Something like, "...imagine him playing alongside Deron and AK."

Hayward will definitely benefit from playing with great passers (and finishers since he's a nice dimer himself), unlike Yatta and other guys fighting for invites to fall camp. I'm really interested in how he'll do this season.

[Nate505]

I remember people saying that we got the next Mike Dunleavy Jr. Everyone seems to remember his Golden State years, where they take a structured guy and put him in a system that just sucks hard. But when he went to Indiana, a team with a bit of competence from a system standpoint, he put up 19 points, 3.5 assists, and 5 boards a game shooting about 47.5% from the field. Then the poor guy got hurt. But If Hayward does that for a few years, it'll be one of the better draft picks KOC has made.

For the record, I wasn't totally thrilled with the pick and wanted Henry or Babbit, but at the same time I couldn't believe nobody would give the kid a chance at all in the league, and some still won't. While summer league isn't that great of competition, he did seem to show promise to me out there.